Newsletter

Posted July 20, 2009 06:00 am

Letter to the Editor

Coal mining is environmental terrorism

What if terrorists blew the tops off hundreds of our beautiful Appalachian Mountains? They then allowed the resulting sludge to permanently bury miles of trout-filled streams, and the poison from the terrorist attacks contaminated the water and air, killing and sickening thousands of people, and forcing many others out of their homes. Most Americans would support killing and imprisoning the terrorists in justified retribution.

These terrorist attacks are not fictional, but have occurred for decades and are known as mountain top removal mining, an industrial shortcut that actually reduces the number of available coal mining jobs. The terrorists in charge, the coal company executives, make a profit terrorizing the little people and destroying the environment. They bribe their way into the government bureaucracy so they can find ways to disregard any environmental laws that might protect the safety of their victims.

Even the election of President Obama, a supposedly progressive candidate, has failed to stop these terrorists. In a predictable act of political cowardice, the Obama administration, instead of stopping the terrorism completely, has decided to issue permits for 42 out of 49 planned terrorist attacks.

It would be unconstitutional to arrest and send coal company executives and employees to Guantanomo Bay. Fortunately, a more practical solution exists: Senate Bill 696 and House Resolution 1310, which would outlaw the terroristic practice known as mountain top removal mining. Contact your senator and representative and urge them to save us from terrorism by voting for these bills.